Shadow of a Doubt
by Lucky-9-Rose
Summary: If she hadn't reminded him of his true purpose, the world would have been destroyed.  All the wilderness and natural beauty surrounding him would have been devastated beyond repair. What about the future? Would there be another chance to be happy?


I'm so sorry for the lack of updates! I really feel bad about that! Hopefully this oneshot makes up for it. This could be an alternate ending for my story, "A Hero's Promise," or the game, "Shadow the Hedgehog," but I'll leave that up to you.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They respectfully belong to SEGA.

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**Shadow of a Doubt**

"_Shadow, the human race must come to an end."He glared at the alien leader in defiance. Currently in his Super form, he hovered in the scarlet red hazy sky, preparing to release another Chaos Spear at his unrelenting opponent._

"_The humans are not my enemy, Black Doom!"It felt ironic for those words to leave his mouth, especially when he labeled the race as pathetic but it was all for a reason; the promise he forgotten with his amnesia. The charged up attack successfully hit its target directly in the eye._

"_Shadow, you traitor…"He could feel the strength of his enemy weakening to nearly nothing. Somehow, deep down, he knew they were in some way, they were a part of each other, sharing the same blood in their veins. He fought back any traces of hesitation he had left. All he could remember was the final blow that finished the Black Alien leader, the act that would wipe out the Black Arms race. All he recalled was the slow passing of time, his heart unsure of what to feel. The fall of Black Doom didn't quite settle right but he pushed aside the doubt. There would be enough time to think about the situation after being forced into a likely celebration with his allies. The Team was predictable in that way._

_What memories did he recall from the party? The job offer to join GUN, that had to be one. But there was another strong memory… he felt unusually certain about that. Obscure, vague images of one particular ally, a young, rose coloured hedgehog surfaced through the memories he had only begun to remember. He could see it clearly – more sharp than before. Her smiling face, joyful emerald eyes and her kind words. Her words prevented the destruction of the planet in the past. Their purpose? To give the people a chance. If she hadn't reminded him of his true purpose, the world would have been destroyed. All the wilderness and natural beauty surrounding him would have been devastated beyond repair._

_What about the future? Would there be another chance to be happy?_

If he had his own way, he would have ran into the horizon without ever looking back. Fate seemed to conspire against his plans to lose all track of his rapid and continuous thoughts plaguing his somewhat exhausted mind occupied with internal worries and questions. It didn't matter how much he tried to avoid them; they kept coming back to haunt him stronger than before. Pushing them aside was useless, a futile effort, accomplishing nothing.

The fading twilight blended into the late evening darkness. The absence of light gave a little comfort to his agonized heart. The darkness suited him well; like an empty, emotionless void. The closest to a perfect reflection. Long ago, it would have been different but that changed in time and the cruelty of reality. It only took one bullet from a gun and one last promise to make a difference.

The promise was the only light he had left within himself. The remains of it were weak in comparison to his inner darkness hidden away deep down. Supposedly created to protect the planet, he felt no sense of fulfillment as he continued to run along the perimeter of a steep valley, surrounded by clustered, deep green forests. The night was nearly as perfect as could be. Separating himself from his supposed allies, a sense of security encircling his being. He slowly came to a stop, knowing he was too far away for the abandoned group to find him. He didn't belong with them anyway. He no longer needed their help. What was done already ended hours ago.

"_I've already fulfilled my promise. I don't have a reason to help them anymore." _

The group of acquaintances, as he preferred to call them rather than friends and the humans could go on without him. The promise kept him from filling their world with destruction. A hero was but a title masking away the vices of the inner darkness they didn't see; what they didn't know he was capable of. His hands were tense at his sides, still feeling a heavy, pressured burden on his shoulders.

His destiny was never going to end, he realized with a frown. Bounded to save the planet with more questions never spoken, never answered. A while ago, his identity had been a mystery. The new arising questions at hand were of a different matter; one that now belonged to the past.

His creator and his family, the Black Arms; the race that attacked Westopolis only two weeks ago. He had only known them for a short period of time but he could only wonder if killing his biological family was right; even if they wanted to kill the people his best friend cared about so much. He had seen not all humans were had evil in their hearts but he couldn't see himself being around that species. By nature, he belonged to no one. He was too different from his deceased family, the human race and the team he left behind. The contrast struck out easily, the enthusiasm of his former companions and then him, who stood silently, shutting out any hint of emotion.

"_I don't need them. I can take care of myself. They'll only get in my way."_

The remains of the vanishing dusk faded away, taken over by the obscurity of the night hours. He felt more certain no one would be following him. Enough time passed for him to affirm that hope. He rested his exhausted body against one of the palm trees nearby to the sandy beach, reminded he had not yet rested after the final battle against his father, Black Doom.

The fact hadn't quite settled in his mind. Bits and fragments of what he thought used to be his family was coming back into his reach; images of the Professor and Maria, not quite clear but memories all the same. He fought against the Black Arms, who at first, didn't know they'd be his enemies. He frowned. Enemies didn't feel like the right word to describe them. Not that he knew they were biologically related to him. To Sonic and his friends, the Black Arms would have been an enemy to them.

When the Black Alien leader had fallen, the group waited faithfully back at the city, praising him for taking him down single handedly, persuading him to celebrate with the team. If that hadn't been difficult enough, he was invited to the President's party and offered a job as a GUN agent. He left them with a response that he'd have to think it over and give them an answer later. Now that the world had been saved from disaster again, he had no idea where he belonged next in life.

"_What…is my next purpose?"_

Was he only meant to fulfill Maria's promise to bring happiness to humanity? It would have been easier making that decision without the knowledge he took down the only race related to him. The puzzle pieces only began coming together but now, they slowly fell apart, leaving a disorganized chaos.

By now, his aching back rested against the trunk of the tree as he slowly sat down, his face in his hands. The final battle and the long lasting party drained most of his energy. Everything felt exhausted, physically and mentally. Thinking took a great deal of concentration but through his weary condition, it felt useless to think straight anymore. The calm waves splashing gently against the sand sounded comforting; the exact opposite of the mood back at the party. Unsettling and inevitably, a discomfort. Now worn out, his red eyes steadily closed, the Ultimate Lifeform soon fell deep asleep.

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"_Shadow…"_

He groaned, still resting against the tree, somehow still unconscious. A soft, light voice continued to quietly speak in his mind, but felt so realistic, as if the voice spoke close to his ear.

"_They need you, Shadow…"_

He couldn't be imagining that voice. It sounded too desperate and pleading to be part of a dream. Opening his still tired eyes, he found himself still in the valley, the faint light of dawn peaking over the horizon. No more voices echoed in his mind as he stood up from the ground.

"_Maybe it was just a dream. I shouldn't be wasting my time thinking about that." _Remembering he left Amy behind at the party, a twinge of shock and shame mixed together. He _left _her behind without returning. The words of the voice, perhaps in a dream after all, flooded back into his memory. Did those words hold the slightest bit of truth? No time for second thoughts, he knew what had to be done. The rising dawn, the beach and the valley soon became a blur, a great distance behind him.

He could only guess Amy would be back at her house, the party being long over and the team most likely resting as soon as it ended. Leaving her without an answer would not be fair to her. Throughout the journey to regain the memories of his forgotten past, she'd been by his side the whole time, loyal, like a true friend. Something he had been missing since the ARK incident fifty years ago. Wondering the Earth to ensure the happiness of humanity felt more worth it with someone to fight for. A new friend, ally and companion.

"_I left her behind. It wasn't right to leave her like that, without a reason." _He recognized Amy's house fairly well. A few times throughout the arrival of the Black Arms, he remembered the occasional visit. In some ways, it felt like a long time since then, even though hours only passed. His progress to the house was hesitant, subdued by growing skepticism. He could only expect Amy to be angry with him and that would be a logical reaction.

Yet avoiding the confrontation would only make the situation worse. Hurting Amy further was the last thing Shadow wanted to happen. Speaking openly to others wasn't a strength of his. That weakness held him back as he stopped a safe distance away from Amy's bedroom window. Her emerald eyes were half open as she was looking in the direction of the lightening sky, not yet seeing him in her view. No anger was visible on her face yet it was strangely calm, like she had nothing on her mind to worry about.

Her thoughtful, dazed expression turned into shock when she realized she wasn't alone. It was too late to change his decision to confront his friend. This was the chance he had to set things right. Now directly outside her window, the two allies shared a long, stunned silence, confirming the doubt both of them unsure of what to say. Amy was the first to find her voice.

"Why didn't you come back?" she asked.

"_I needed some time,"_ was the response he wanted to give but he paused before they left his mouth. That reason sounded effortless, too simple. With Amy, she deserved more than that, a short, empty answer. "I had something to think about," he began. "I needed to be alone."

"You had us all worried!" she spoke in a voice no longer abnormally calm but so panicked, so worried, it wavered to a low whisper.

"I'm sorry," he replied, feeling the guilt at full force, looking into the sadness of those emerald eyes he grew to like so much. Sadness felt wrong to be there. Amy was supposed to be happy. Wasn't that part of his promise, to give everyone the chance to be happy? The guilt did not struggle to deter his gaze away from hers. His feelings remained below the surface that hid the words he longed to say but would not be told. Was a short apology the most he could do after leaving his friend behind? He tightened a tense fist, angered at the cruelty of doubt, which held him back.

"Shadow, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know why you left." She thought carefully for a moment, trying to search for the right question. The first one that came to mind left her lips. "Was it the offer?"

"No, it wasn't," he answered truthfully, a bit eased by his honesty, the very tip of his real feelings finally able to break through the long lasting strength of his isolated heart. It was a strange sense of freedom, a different freedom than what he was accustomed to. "It was about the promise."

By now, Amy was leaning forward on the windowsill, listening quietly in worry. "The promise? Why?"Her worry rose at the thought. The promise was something they somewhat shared. She was a part of it deep down.

"Is that my only purpose for being here now? To give the humans a chance and make them happy? Is that possible?" Amy rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Not everyone will be happy but you've got to try! That was our promise too!"

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "I'll remember that, Amy…"The hopelessness that invaded his heart earlier evaporated at the now hopeful look on Amy's face. He remembered his other reason to keep his promise, to continue on with his life. Amy Rose, his loyal friend.

The promise of the hero would live on after all.


End file.
